View - North East Lincolnshire Council

BOC Immingham Dissolved Acetylene Project Environmental Statement: Vol. 2 Main Text
Features Potential Impacts Impact Significance
disturbance to water voles using the drain. As the drain was not heavily
used at the time of survey with only one identified burrow and two latrines
there does not appear to be a large population using Middle Drain in the
vicinity of the proposed bridge. Extensive water vole colonies are often
found adjacent to and within urban and residential areas where human
disturbance probably affects predators more than it affects the water vole 84 .
There may be some limited reduction in marginal vegetation due to shading
from the bridge but this is unlikely to affect the use of Middle Drain as a
wildlife corridor by water voles as this will only have a local effect under the
bridge where there would be some cover for commuting water voles
provided by the bridge itself. It is extremely unlikely that the bridge structure
would lead to any habitat fragmentation impacts (i.e. preventing water voles
crossing from one side to the other).
There will be no discharge of process water into Middle Drain and so no
pathways for the process water to have an impact upon water vole using
the Drain.
Any external lighting used to illuminate the facility will generally be polemounted
and directed downwards (similar to streetlamps). It is intended to
minimise light spill to adjacent areas with the use of appropriate hoods and
diffusers. Lighting will be specifically directed away from Middle Drain to
reduce disturbance to water voles. Any lighting in this area would be for
safe pedestrian and vehicle movement and this would be designed to
reduce light spill along Middle Drain.
Consideration will be given to planting low level scrub between the
development and the maintenance strip on Middle Drain to minimise
disturbance to water voles and any other animals using Middle Drain.
Operation of the facility is not likely to have negative impacts on the
conservation status of the local water vole population.
Otter No records of otter were returned and no evidence of otter was found during
the survey. While there is potential for them to use Middle Drain for foraging
or commuting there is no current evidence of usage and disturbance is
considered highly unlikely. Otter will use habitats within urban areas and the
operational use of the proposed development is unlikely to deter otters from
using Middle Drain in future.
No significant negative effect
5100935.404 Environmental Statement August 2011 184